Love For Wine Can Be Blind Too

Wine tasting sessions are fun but what’s more intriguing are sessions where you taste wine blindfolded. And Trex Desai will show you how to evaluate wines while having fun with his one-day workshop at The Art Loft. We spoke to the man behind getting the participants in his workshop drunk, to get the basic idea of blind wine tasting sessions and how difficult or easy it is for someone to acquire the art.

What was the reason for conducting a blind wine tasting session?

It is not very common for people who are new to wine (at least here in India) to engage in blind tasting. Personally I think it is one of the best ways to learn about wine.

What is the basic idea behind blind tasting?

I want to help people understand wine better while developing their personal tastes. Blind tasting helps prevent bias against certain types of wine that people may have pre-judged that they don’t really like. In addition, it makes people think about what they taste. All in all, it’s great fun to guess the wine that you are tasting and it becomes a much more involved process with my students.

What is the basic procedure or steps in a wine tasting session?

There will be a short introduction to wine at the beginning and an overview on how we taste wine that will be followed with a discussion on the characteristics of various grape varieties. We then get down to the actual tasting of 6 different imported wines, which are all distinct and different, and discuss each type of wine as we proceed. Finally we guess which wines are which at the end with the class divided into teams.

How difficult/easy is it to learn the art of blind tasting?

It is extremely easy to learn and great fun with friends.

Why is it vital for the participants to taste the wine blind folded?

I primarily follow this procedure to show that when you are blindfolded, it can be difficult to tell the difference between white and red wine. It is not compulsory for every participant to taste wine blind folded as we have customers who are uncomfortable with the entire idea.

Do you require a formal education to master the art?

To teach and organise classes, I believe that your students deserve to learn from someone who has learnt about wine in a systematic way as it will allow them to communicate the fundamentals of the subject without complicating concepts. Having said so, learning about wine is easy and informal at a lower level. If someone does want to explore the subject and master it, then yes, a formal education is required.

Things to be kept in mind for someone who is new to the art

Have fun! Explore! And remember, it’s always your opinion that is most important when your own tastes and preferences are involved.

Trex Desai’s workshop will take place at The Art Loft on 2nd November, 2012 between 8:00 pm and 11:00 pm.

InOnIt is your lifestyle destination to stay updated on the latest fashion and beauty trends, celebrity style, shopping and more. From runway trends to street style, learn easy DIYS and style tips. Shop online for the latest trends from our handpicked catalogue of products. Discover a world of shopping from our extensive catalogue, which includes western apparel, Indian clothing, bags, shoes, jewellery and more.